Apparently I have been downgraded. Yes, my friends, sad but true. I did not spend enough money at Starbucks over the past year to remain in the Gold Level, so I have been downgraded to the lowly Green Level. I blame my children. See, my children adore Starbucks, and it’s gotten to the point where if I pull into the parking lot, my almost-2-year-old starts clapping her hands and saying “YAY!”. Which means that if I go to Starbucks, I have to buy them all something. Well, of course, I can say no, and with the older two, it’s much easier to set the expectation that I am just getting coffee and we will be on our way. They are actually pretty good about it. But almost-2-year-olds are a tad harder to reason with. So I started avoiding Starbucks unless I was unaccompanied by children. Which until this fall was, um, never. I guess that’s one way to break a Starbucks habit!

One of the treats my children loved from Starbucks was the pumpkin bread. It’s not hard to imagine why…it’s very moist and flavourful and very, VERY sweet. When I bought it, I usually got one to split between the three of them. I’ve been promising to make them some since last winter, because I knew I could make a tasty version that was a whole lot better for them. But I was completely unable to find canned pumpkin in my area. I checked three different grocery stores AND Trader Joe’s, and there wasn’t a single can on the shelves. I figured that once school started and the Halloween stuff appeared, I’d be able to find pumpkin, but it still wasn’t there. Finally, in one store in the organic section, I managed to find a few rather pricey cans. Given how hard I searched for them, I decided that it was worth coughing up the dough so that I could finally make good on my promise.

But by that time, my plans had changed. See, at first I was going to make them regular, albeit slightly healthified, pumpkin bread. You know, the sort made with sugar and flour and the typical pumpkin pie spices. But as the weather had turned somewhat chilly and more fall-like, I found myself in the mood for some pumpkin bread too. And of course, even a slightly healthified flour/sugar pumpkin bread won’t do for a diabetic. So I decided to take a stab at a low carb, gluten free version. And somewhere along the way, I don’t know exactly where, I decided to forego the typical pumpkin pie spices and use cardamom instead. I’ve fallen hard and fast for cardamom and love its exotic, warming flavour. It just seemed like it would be a great complement to the pumpkin in a fall-themed baked good.

The Results: Well, I for one loved this. I loved the exotic kick of the cardamom and the way the actual flavour of pumpkin wasn’t hidden under a blanket of cinnamon, ginger and cloves. It was deliciously moist and made for a great breakfast with my coffee. It even fueled me through an 8.5 mile run last week (well, 2 pieces did, anyway). My son was not a fan, he was put off by the cardamom, but my oldest daughter loved it. I didn’t try it on my littlest child, as I didn’t want to waste it on her.

I do have one regret with this recipe, however. I severely underestimated the size of the pan and how much batter it would take to fill it up. Next time, I might completely double the amount of batter, because I’d love this bread in tall, skinny slices instead of short, squat ones. I am sure it would take a lot more baking to cook through, though. So I will write up the recipe as I made it, and you can do as you see fit.

For the pepitas, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the pepitas, erythritol and cinnamon and toss to combine. Cook and stir until erythritol is melted, about 4 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.

For the bread, preheat oven to 325F and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, erythritol, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, xanthan gum and salt. In a large bowl, beat pumpkin and coconut oil until smooth. Beat in eggs, almond milk and stevia until combined.

Add almond flour mixture to pumpkin and stir until batter is just combined. Spread in prepared pan and sprinkle with cinnamon pepitas, pressing lightly to adhere. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until top is set and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serves 10. Each serving has 6.2 g total carbs, and 2.5 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 3.7 g.

Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.
I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them.
I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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Over the past few years we've seen some empty spots on the grocery store shelves too where the canned pumpkin was supposed to be. So if you're ever in that position again and you're really desperate–my mother-in-law shared this secret with me… You can use fresh acorn or butternut squash (pumpkins are technically a squash) as a substitute. Just cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, roast in the oven until a fork easily goes through it, cool and scoop the flesh off of the rind. And we like it this way better anyway. So we only buy canned pumpkin in a pinch now when we don't have time to roast the squash. Note: The squash tends to be a bit jucier than the canned pumpkin. Adjust accordingly or just enjoy a moister product. 🙂

I didn't know Starbucks had "levels". Haha! Shows how often I go there. Maybe twice a year. This pumpkin bread looks so delicious. I am happy that I grabbed two cans of pumpkin before the shelves became bare. I would love to give this a try sometime soon. Yummy!

I need to stock up on more pumpkin! Or be awesome like my dad and make it myself from a fresh pumpkin and freeze it. Maybe I can commission him to make a big batch for me… O:-). Anyway love that you put cinnamon pepitas on top, so yummy!

What a great twist on pumpkin bread! I bet it's fabulous with the cardamom. I have one can of pumpkin left in my pantry and now I am so worried I won't be able to get more! I'm gonna stock up this weekend for sure (if I can!).

I didn't even know there were "levels" at Starbucks!!! Where have I been??I can't believe it's already time for pumpkin, but I'm ready! This bread looks perfect…I like that it's not covered up with all the spices. Sounds great!

Perfectly genius using cardamom. I love it too. Last year, during the pumpkin drought, a friend gave me cans of pumpkin she had hoarded for my birthday! Wish I still had them to try this. I'll be shopping. And the seeds on top! Another great idea!

I love pumpkin bread. The pumpkin seeds on top and the cardamom make for a nice twist to a classic treat. I've just started using cardamom recently and I love it. Sure wish I had some this morning with my coffee.

Oh. My. Cardamom. I am thinking that this is going on the list for next week! Oh who am I kidding? I'm going to make it today and eat ALL of it 🙂 Thanks for this incredible recipe! I can smell it baking already…

What fabulous flavors! Cardamom is always a fave — I love the rich citrusy flavor of it and with pumpkin? Nice. I've used pepitas like this as well and they really add a nice crunch to the top. Beautiful loaf.

I have heard somewhere else about a pumpkin shortage????? I have some surplus from last summer in the freezer to use so I will be able to make this. I love cardamom. And I think the cinnamon pepitas are genius.

OMG! I am so trying this. My Father passed away 4yrs ago and one of his favorite things was Hot Cardamom bread! His mother made it and while he was under treatment for Non Hodgkins Lymphoma I even tried to bribe him to eat with cardamom waffles. I have severe thyroid issues and have yet to make this bread as I knew id suffer horribly from the side effects. NOW I can have it!!! I just might cry making it. We also made french toast out of the bread that was left over. I bet this would be good that way too! OH you have revived something awesome for this family!!! THANK YOU!! I cant wait to take some to my son!

Oh Wow! I just made this Pumpkin Bread, all I had around was Almond Meal and it worked. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe….. my husband and I are enjoying your wonderful recipe. I was wondering if you know roughly what the Calories and Protein for each slice would be?

Hey! I’m thinking of making this bread soon, but I only have unflavored whey protein. Do you think that I could add some vanilla extract to approximate the taste of the vanilla whey protein in the original recipe? If so, how much do you think I should add? Is your vanilla whey protein sweetened?

I made the following subs for the bake:
1 cup Swerve + 2 tbsp coconut sugar for the brown sugar and corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream and 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk instead of the half-and-half
pumpkin spice liqueur for the Grand Marnier because that’s what I had on hand

I saved the pepitas and sprinkled them on half way through.

Everyone loved it and one person asked for the recipe.

Thanks for the great recipes and the idea of using coconut sugar for caramelizing. I always keep a jar of your caramel sauce in the fridge, my husband LOVES it.

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Looking for the best low carb recipes? You've come to the right place! I'm Carolyn, a major carnivore and an unrepentant sweet tooth. Here you will find all you need to enjoy the low carb keto lifestyle to the fullest! Read more